Real time remotely controlled robot

• US 6,016,385 A
• Filed: 08/11/1997
• Issued: 01/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: FANU America Corporation
• Original Assignee: FANU America Corporation
• Inventors: Yee, Albert G., Akeel, Hadi A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Robinson, Victoria
• Application Number:
  US08/905,016
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 395/80, 358/93
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/02 Hand grip control means handles or pedals for crane control B66C13/56; for measuring the force applied to control members G01L5/22; hand-held casings for switching devices, e.g. joy-sticks H01H9/0214
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/04 Foot-operated control means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/08 by means of sensing devices, e.g. viewing or touching devices
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/084 Tactile sensors in general G01L5/16, G01L5/22
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0009 comprising multi-articulated fingers, e.g. resembling a human hand
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 3/04 involving servo mechanisms servo-actuated heads B25J15/02
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1689 Teleoperation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/427 Teaching successive positions by tracking the position of a joystick or handle to control the positioning servo of the tool head, master-slave control G05B19/423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35448 Datasuit, arm sleeve, actor, operator wears datasuit and generates motion
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40131 Virtual reality control, programming of manipulator
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40133 Force sensation of slave converted to movement of chair for operator
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40134 Force sensation of slave converted to vibration for operator
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40136 Stereo audio and vision
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40146 Telepresence, teletaction, sensor feedback from slave to operator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements

Abstract

A robot system including a robot, an operator control center and having a communication system connecting the robot and control center wherein an operator in the control center responds with natural movements to stimulus signals from the robot environment by issuing commands that control the robot. In one embodiment, the operator occupies a command chair with an exoskeletal arm that is secured to the "shoulder" (backrest) of the chair. The operator slides his hand into a glove of the invention attached to the end of the exoskeletal arm. He views the robot environment through a video screen and exerts control in response to views presented on the screen. The communication system sends signals to the operator glove in response to conditions at the robot site prompting the operator to take appropriate action.

Claims

1. A robot system which comprises:

a robot means, adapted for being located in a robot environment, for performing tasks in response to control signals received by said robot means;

said robot means including means for generating sensation signals responsive to said robot environment and robot control means for controlling said robot means;

command means adapted for being located in a command environment remote from said robot environment, for generating command signals responsive to a position and movement pattern of an operator;

communication means for receiving said command signals, converting said command signals to said control signals, and transmitting said control signals to said robot means to control said robot to substantially duplicate motion of said pattern;

said robot control means being receptive to said control signals;

said communication means including means for converting said sensation signals to sensation causing effects detectable by said operator.

2. The robot system of claim 1 comprising:

a robot body;

at least one mechanical arm means joined at one end to said robot body and corresponding to one operator alum of said operator respectively and for duplicating movement of said respective one operator arm in response to arm command signals;

said command control means having means for generating a plurality of arm command signals responsive to position and movement of said operator arm;

said communication means having means for converting said arm command signals to arm control signals and transmitting said arm control signals to said robot means.

3. The robot system of claim 2 wherein said command means comprises:

a base;

an exoskeleton arm having an upper arm section with an elbow end rotatably attached to an elbow end of a forearm section;

a hand end rotatably mounted to said forearm section;

means for attaching said aim of said operator to said exoskeleton arm

said upper arm section having a shoulder end rotatably attached to said base.

4. The robot system of claim 3 wherein said base is a chair.

5. The robot system of claim 2 wherein said means for generating a plurality of arm command signals responsive to position and movement of said operator arm is at least one rotary encoder, each one of said at least one rotary encoder coupled between at least one of:

(i) said base and said upper aim section;

(ii) said tipper arm section and said forearm section;

(iii) said forearm section and said hand end.

6. The robot system of claim 3 comprising:

a glove means having a thumb section and at least one finger section and attached to a hand end of said forearm section operably arranged to enable said operator to position himself above said base with said operator'"'"'s hand in said glove;

grasping motion signal means positioned in said glove for generating a grasping motion command signal responsive to grasping motion generated by a thumb and fingers of said hand end;

said communication means has means for converting said grasping motion signals generated in said glove means to grasping motion command signals transmitted to said robot hand means;

said robot means has a robot hand means adapted for grasping objects in robot space with a grasping motion in said robot hand responsive to grasping motion control signals emitted by said communication means.

7. The robot system of claim 6 wherein said grasping motion signal means in said glove comprises encoder means in said finger section and thumb section of said glove means for generating grasping motion signals in response to motion applied by said operator to said finger means and thumb means of said glove means.

8. The robot system of claim 7 comprising:

means for generating grasping force signals responsive to said grasping motion by said robot hand

a brake means for applying a resistance force to closing said finger section and said thumb section;

said resistance force being responsive to said grasping force signals.

9. The robot system of claim 8 wherein said control means comprises:

means for adjusting said resistance force to a value that is less than a corresponding value of force applied by said operator to said glove means by a preselected increment when said resistance force is in a range from zero force to a preset value of resistance force;

means for applying a clamping force signal to said brake means such that said finger means and thumb means are immobile when resistance force exceeds said preset value of resistance force.

10. The robot system of claim 6 comprising:

sensation signal means located in said robot hand for generating sensation signals responsive to conditions that stimulate at least one human sense when a human hand is in said robot environment in the vicinity of said robot hand;

said communication means having means for converting said sensation signals to sensation command signals;

sensation creation means in said glove responsive to said sensation command signals operably arranged to create sensory sensations detectable by said operator hand in said glove.

11. The robot system of claim 10 wherein at least one human sense is selected from a group of senses that consist of senses responsive to force, pressure, temperature, heat flow, vibration and surface roughness.

12. The robot system of claim 1 comprising:

said robot means having a rotatable robot head;

said robot means having a pair of microphones;

one microphone of said pair of microphones on one side of said robot head and another microphone of said pair of microphones mounted on an opposite side of said robot head;

each microphone having, a directional response characteristic;

said control means having one earphone adapted for being worn against one ear of said operator and another earphone adapted for being worn against another ear of said operator;

means for transmitting one audio signal from said one microphone to said one earphone and another audio signal from said another microphone to said another earphone whereby said user wearing said pair of earphones experiences a combined audio signal having a directional characteristic.

13. The robot system of claim 1 comprising:

said robot means having a rotatable robot head;

a pair of video cameras rotatably mounted on said robot head and spaced from one another;

said control means having a helmet adapted for being worn by a user;

a pair of video monitor screens rotatably mounted on said helmet;

each screen positioned in front of and proximal to a respective eye of a user;

means for delivering an one image from one camera to one screen and another image from said another camera to said another screen adjusting an angle between lines of sight of said pair of video screens and lines of sight of said pair of video screens relative to lines of sight of said operator'"'"'s eyes such that said user perceives three dimensional information.

14. The robot system of claim 11 wherein said at least one human sense is responsive to temperature of a surface and said sensation signal means is a thermocouple positioned in a finger of said robot hand and operably arranged for contacting said surface and said sensation creation means is one of a heater and cooler positioned in said glove.

15. The robot system of claim 11 wherein said at least one human sense is responsive to surface roughness and said sensation signal means comprises:

a stylus mounted on said robot hand and adapted for sliding a tip of said stylus on said surface;

a microphonic transducer means operably arranged with said stylus to convert vibrations induced in said stylus sliding on said surface to said sensation signal.

16. The robot system of claim 1 wherein:

said control means comprises means for generating video message signals;

said communicating means comprises means for converting said video message signals to video display signals;

said robot means comprises means adapted for presenting video display responsive to said video signals.

17. The robot system of claim 16 wherein said means adapted for presenting video display comprises:

a dome means constructed for presenting said video display on an outside or inner surface of said dome means such that said display is visible from a position outside said dome means;

a video projection means inside said dome means for projecting said video display onto said outside or inner surface of said dome means.

18. The robot system of claim 17 wherein said video display comprises a liquid crystal screen.

19. The robot system of claim 17 where said video display is a video monitor screen.

20. The robot system of claim 16 wherein said means adapted for presenting video display comprises a holographic image projection system.

21. The robot system of claim 1 wherein:

said control means comprises means for generating audio message signals; and

said communicating means comprises means for converting said audio message signals to audio signals; and

said robot means comprises means adapted for emitting sound signals responsive to said audio signals whereby other humans in said robot environment are able to receive said sound signals.

22. The robot system of claim 12 which comprises a helmet means for supporting said microphonic transducer proximal to an operators ears.

23. The robot system of claim 12 which comprises a helmet means for supporting said video camera within eyesight of said operator.

24. The robot system of claim 10 wherein said sensation signals are analog signals and said communication means comprises:

means for converting said analog signals to digital signals;

wireless means adapted for transmitting said digital signals to a receiver means;

receiving means for receiving said digital signals;

means for converting said digital signals back to said sensation detection signals in analog form.

25. The robot system of claim 2 wherein said one mechanical arm means comprises:

at least one elongated member, each member joined to an end of another member beginning with a first member having one end joined to said robot body and ending with a last elongated member having an end opposite said respective joint connected to a robot hand;

at least one actuating motor means, one for each elongated member and located at said end of each said elongated member joining an elongated member.